Fortunate
by Sailing On A Notebook
Summary: Mana joins Atem in the world of the living. Atem agrees to take Mana out for a tour of Domino and finds that he's looking at Mana more than just a friend. Vaseshipping.


**_Hey! This is my first fanfic on this site! I hope you like it! The main reason I wrote this is because I ran out of vaseshipping fics to read... so I thought that I should write one! The idea was playing in my head for days!_**

 ** _Just so you know, I've only watched the English dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! So I'll be using the English names. By the way this is set after the anime, Atem ends up staying in the modern world and Mana decides to join him._**

 ** _Trigger Warning: There is slight sexual harrassment in this story!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did then there would have been more vaseshipping!_**

 ** _Pairings: Mana x Atem, Joey x Mai, Yugi x Tea and mentioned Mahad x Isis_**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!_**

Fortunate

Mana looked down at the directions that were scribbled on a scrap piece of paper. It was simple really, all she had to do was follow it to Yugi's grandfather's game shop. She skipped down the street, luxuriating in the weather. It was morning and the sun basked warmly over Domino, it wasn't hot like Egypt but it was enough for her to not need a jacket.

She found the game shop, a yellow building with a green roof and big sign in front. Mana pushed open the door, she heard a little chime as she did and she walked deeper in the shop. She peered around at the different games, all different colours and sizes, there was much a big variety that it boggled her mind a bit.

"Mana, you're here!" Solomon greeted as he walked into the shop. She turned and gave him a wave.

"Good morning Solomon!" She replied enthusiastically. A smile stretched on her lips, she couldn't really get over how similar he looked to Master Shimon. It was uncanny but comforting, a familiar face was always reassuring.

"The boys are in the living room, you know your way, don't you?" He told her, knowing why she was here. She nodded and thanked him and skipped into the house, she didn't really know her way around Yugi's house well but she could sense where Atem was so it couldn't be too difficult.

She wandered through the house and finally found her way. She knocked on the door, making Yugi aware of her presence. Yugi shifted his eyes from the TV and looked over to Mana, confused. He managed to mask it with a smile.

"Heya Mana, what's up?" he greeted, Mana noted the surprise in his voice. She pranced into the room and hopped onto the couch next to him.

"Hi Yugi! Atem told me he would take me around Domino today," she explained and looked at the room. She wanted to absorb as much of this modern world as quickly as she could. Everything is just so more interesting than ancient Egypt.

Mana looked back at Yugi in time for Atem to project himself beside them. It was only because of her magic abilities was she able to see him, it took a spell or two but she managed to get it to happen. She could hear him to but not touch him which sucked because the urge to tackle hug him grew stronger and stronger. She didn't want to fall through the air again.

"Atem, hey!" she greeted. Atem returned the greeting and gave a smile of his own. It wasn't as large and excited as Mana's but it was equally as genuine. He was happy to hear her voice, it was always so musical and joyful.

"Mana we have a bit of a problem..." Yugi trailed and rubbed the back of his neck. At the same time there was another knock on the door. Mana turned and saw Tea, her smile turned into confusion when she saw her.

Mana shifted her eyes between Yugi and Tea, Yugi's cheeks were bright red and coming to think of it, _he was pretty dressed up._ _They must be going out._

"Oh! I didn't know! Sorry about that Yugi, Atem didn't tell me that you already had plans today!" Mana exclaimed and shot up from her seat. The three gave Mana a sympathetic look.

"Sorry Mana, I should've told Yugi that I made a plan, I didn't know he had..." Atem apologized, his lips twisted into a frown.

"Yeah, sorry Mana, I didn't tell him anything, maybe Tea and I could come back quickly so he could still show you around? Or maybe we could go later on," Yugi reasoned. Mana hastily shook her head, she didn't want Yugi to change his plans because of her. She knew from Atem that Yugi's had a crush on Tea for years. It wouldn't be fair if she intruded on them.

"That's fine we can do it another day," Mana insisted, trying hard not to sound disappointed. Truthfully, she was excited about to today, she hadn't spend a lot of time with Atem ever since she joined this world a few days ago.

"Are you sure?" Tea asked while walking into the room.

"Of course, now you two lovebirds have a wonderful day!"

"But Mana you made your way here this morning specifically to -"

Mana waved her hand to silence Yugi. "Don't be silly, I don't live far away. It's only two..." Mana stopped and thought for that word again. _What was it...? Oh yes!_ Now she remembered. "It's only two blocks away." She had her own place, which seemed to worry Atem. Who knew what she'd get up to? But Mahad checked up on her almost daily, they couldn't risk Mana destroying the place.

"Maybe we can walk you there?" Tea suggested.

"Oh no, I've probably already gotten you late," Mana brushed off. "Plus I've got to get used to walking around myself, I know you guys can't always be with me."

Atem projected himself in front of Mana, his eyebrows furrowed. He had gained his memories back and he hadn't had the time to go through them all. But he knew Mana, he knew she was upset. He could easily walk around with her as a spirit, but he could only be away from the puzzle by a few metres.

"Mana, I'll make it up to you," he promised, looking disappointed himself. She nodded and then turned around, muttering a goodbye. She would have to find something else to do today.

She walked towards the door, not bouncing as usual and thought _why couldn't he have his own body after everything that's happened?_

An idea struck her and she stopped in her tracks, she turned around to face Tea and Yugi who were conversing, Atem must've gone back inside the puzzle. She had a huge grin on her face and made her magic book appear in her hand.

She knew that there had to be a spell somewhere, she had mastered magic already so she didn't have to worry about screwing up. All she had to do was find the right spell.

Finally she found it, she scanned the words in an attempt to memorize them and replaced the book with her wand. "I have an idea!" She announced. She went deeper into the room, not caring to explain herself. She'll only explain herself if the spell works, which it _should_.

She positioned Yugi in front of the couch, Atem projected himself to see what she was doing. She didn't answer any of their questions, she needed to focus. She told Tea to stand behind her and tried to draw an imaginary line between Atem and Yugi.

"Mana, what are you doing?" Atem questioned.

"Okay, you two are going to have to separate a little more and stand still, I don't want to chop off someone's arm," she ordered. The two did as they were told.

Tea watched confused, she couldn't see Atem whenever he was in his spirit form so really, to her, Mana looked crazy.

Mana went through the spell in her mind, she had managed to memorize it perfectly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This might hurt a little." She opened her eyes and saw them starting to protest a little, she ignored them and started to chant the spell under her breath. In response, the millennium puzzle started to glow, at the final word Mana used her wand to slice between the two and a blinding light filled the room.

Mana shielded her eyes until the light faded and saw that her spell had worked. Atem was materialized beside Yugi.

Tea gasped from behind her, looking between the two. Yugi and Atem looked at each other and themselves continuously. Mana chuckled once noticing that Atem was wearing his Pharaoh attire. He looked exactly as she remembered him.

"So... what do you think?" Mana questioned nervously, she swapped her wand for her spell book and looked back at the spell. She knew it wasn't permanent, she wasn't _that_ powerful yet. She hoped it was enough for today.

"This is..." Atem trailed and marveled at his body. She smirked, she knew he was speechless and that didn't happen often.

"Awesome! Wow, Mana I didn't know you could do that!" Yugi cheered. Mana giggled and made her book disappear.

"I didn't know either until I looked into my spell book. Although it's not permanent, it lasts around 12 hours. That should be enough right?" Yugi nodded enthusiastically.

Atem looked up at Mana, his amethyst eyes wide in surprise. "Thanks Mana... I have my own body... even if it's only for today."

Mana laughed. _He is such a dork._

"This is great, we can both go through with our plans today," Tea beamed. Mana nodded, that was the plan now. She could spend more time with her best friend!

"Although Atem, I don't think you should go around looking like a Pharaoh," Yugi pointed out, there was a smile in his voice.

"Oh yes, I need some clothes..." Atem said. Mana materialized her wand again, she had walked around Domino enough to have an idea of men's fashion. This shouldn't be _too_ hard.

"I'll take care of that," Mana said, before Yugi offered his wardrobe. She pointed her wand at Atem and mumbled the spell she used on herself the day she got here. She too couldn't go around in her ancient attire. She changed a few words towards the end to make sure he didn't end up in a dress. Atem's cape vanished, his tunic changed into a black, v-neck pullover, black jeans with a belt and boots. For accessories, Mana knew he liked a little jewellery, she gave him some bracelets and a thin black choker. Yugi and him were both wearing the puzzle. "Better?" Mana asked hopefully.

Atem smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

Mana clapped giddily. "Awesome, let's get going!"

* * *

The pairs went their separate ways. They would have been quicker if Solomon wasn't so surprised to see two Yugis. They all just looked at Mana and he decided not to question it, after all everyone's plans can go through now.

"Everything is so... big and different..." Mana commented as she stared at pretty much everything wide eyed.

"Well it has been 5,000 years Mana," Atem reminded, he walked leisurely beside Mana, his hands tucked into his pockets as Mana skipped beside him. A little smile seemed to be permanent on his lips, which made Mana happier. She didn't want to be seen as annoying.

"But still. It's amazing isn't it? Especially those mechanical kind of carts, can you ride one?" Mana questioned. Atem furrowed his eyes and then understood what she was talking about, he chuckled.

"Cars, you mean?" He said and pointed at one. "No I don't know how to drive. Yugi hasn't got his license yet either."

"License? What's that?"

"It's kind of like a permit, it shows that you're allowed to drive and that you know how."

"But driving looks pretty easy, it can't be that hard," Mana mused. She looked at the cars and imagined herself in one, it couldn't be hard. "It could be just like riding a horse, right?"

Atem also imagined Mana in a car, he could imagine her crashing into everything. No one would be safe if she was on the road.

"I usually rode a horse for you," Atem recalled, his smile morphed into a smirk. Her lips twisted into a pout, he was right.

"But you did teach me, do you remember that?"

"Oh yes." Atem chuckled. "You were terrible at it, how did you manage fall ten feet away from it?"

Mana went red at the memory, she _was_ terrible at it at first. She always made the excuse that that particular horse didn't like her. It didn't help that she was useless with other horses too, she managed to ride into the wall sometimes.

"Oh hush, I wasn't that bad."

"You were and you know it."

"Okay fine, we all can't be as perfect as you are!" She teased. Atem gazed at Mana just in time to see her stick her tongue at him childishly. Mana knew he was pretty good at everything, if he wasn't he'd turn it into a game and automatically became a pro. Mana never found it fair, she had to fail at least two million times before she did something right.

Atem was relaxed, he couldn't remember the last time he felt like that. He'd always had to defeat some evil or duel a bad guy, but now he had nothing. It was odd for him. He felt that Mana aided his relaxation, with her he had no pressure to be or to do anything.

They walked past KC's headquarters, Mana found it funny that the previous Priest Seto's descendent was local to the Pharaoh. Atem told her about Kaiba, his past, the first time they duelled, duellist kingdom, etc. To her they sounded like friends, Atem agreed but explained that Kaiba would never acknowledge it directly.

They walked towards the plaza, their conversation drifting to the events of Battle City. Mana had managed to watch him using her magic, although she wished she was there in person to cheer him on.

"You know, it wasn't till I visited my memory that I realised you were, in a way, Dark Magician Girl."

"Had to help you out somehow," she stated. "I couldn't leave my best friend to fend for himself, that wouldn't be very nice, would it?"

"You were very helpful, thank you for that," he appreciated. "It's good to finally know why I cared about the card so much." He looked at her, she was going red again.

"Stop it Atem, I'm starting to blush," she scolded. He chuckled. "I couldn't let you kick ass without me, you know we're a team."

Atem nodded remembering all that she did to help defeat Zorc. He couldn't understand why she still cared so much for him, he left her prematurely and then had no recollection of her once they met again. But then again, it was like that with most of his Court. Whenever he asked her about it she replied that he'd be the same if it was the other way around.

They strode through the main plaza, Atem had no plans to take her to any particular places. He wouldn't mind going anywhere that caught her interest, it was the least he could do. The arcade appeared ahead, an idea came to mind. He knew she'd love an arcade, she loved games almost as much as he did.

"Let's go to the arcade."

"What's an arcade?"

"A place where you have coin-operated gaming machines, c'mon I'll show you," he said and picked up his pace. Mana's face lit up, she grabbed Atem's hand and dragged him towards the building she suspected to be the arcade. Atem tried to get her to slow down but once she was excited about something it would be hard to delay her. He had to stop himself from toppling over a few times because of the awkward way she had his hand in both of hers and the way she half ran, half skipped towards the arcade.

They entered the huge building, Mana heard the sounds of chatter, laughter and sound effects. She looked at the many game booths, feeling slightly intimidated but curious at the same time. She looked for one that caught her eye.

She settled for a racing game, she had wanted to try driving a car after all. This was probably the closest Atem would let her to a driver's seat anyway. They settled for multiplayer, Atem put a few coins into the machine and sat beside Mana. Mana jumped in her seat, far too excited to read the instructions that flashed on the screen. She hastily picked the fastest car and yelled at Atem who was taking his time, he was looking for the best car - it wasn't always about speed. Mana impatiently started to press down on the pedal and twisting the wheel before the race started.

Atem watched her amused. "Hey you want to make a bet?" Mana asked deviously.

"You do know you're trying to place a bet against the King of games?"

"I thought Yugi was the King of games?" She questioned with a cheeky smile. Atem rolled his eyes, he had lost his title, but that didn't mean he wasn't good at games anymore.

"What do you want to bet?" Atem asked.

"Hmmm... if I win you have to walk around in my old dress all day," Mana giggled. Atem's eyes widened, he wasn't going to go through that, he didn't want to agree with it, but he knew Mana wouldn't let him refuse.

"If you lose... you have to wear my Pharaoh's attire for a whole day, jewellery and all," Atem decided, it would make things likewise. Though he knew she wouldn't mind doing that, she would also find a way to make it favour her. He didn't really want to make her do anything she didn't want to do.

Mana agreed and they shook hands. "Let's do this!"

* * *

Mana continuously banged her head against the steering wheel. She managed to make the car explode. She didn't even know how she managed to do that, Atem didn't even know it was possible in the game. She asked for a rematch and he won again. She had twenty rematches and she just became worse and worse. She couldn't understand how she could have such a humiliating losing streak! She should've won Atem. Every single time. She shouldn't have lost.

Atem just laughed at Mana's expense. He did try to make her feel better but he couldn't stop laughing. He never laughed like this often, it was like old times. Mana and her bets, he was happy she never changed.

Mana scowled at him but before berating him, her stomach growled. She had skipped breakfast this morning due to her excitement and that Mahad didn't allow her to use the cooker without supervision.

"You're hungry, let's go eat something," Atem said, a smile flirting on his lips. Mana, still wanting another rematch, pouted and followed him out of the arcade. She'd have to walk around dressed like him for a day now, although she didn't mind. His outfit was fine, she just needed to find a way of getting herself out of it. She felt like it would emphasize her defeat.

"Where we going?" Mana asked, skipping alongside him again.

"Domino cafe," Atem answered, leading the way. They settled with a silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Atem was thinking back through his memories in ancient Egypt, he caught himself thinking about Mana but he pushed it away when he realized where his thoughts were going.

They were just friends. That's it. They couldn't be anything else. _Right?_

Mana was thinking about all the ways she could get him back, there had to be something that he was terrible at. She just needed to remember.

They approached the quaint cafe. Atem opened the door for her, she glided past him with a thanks and inhaled deeply. The scent of sweets and chocolate wafted towards her, making her smile. She knew she shouldn't be allowed too much sugar, but Atem wouldn't remember that!

They sat down in a booth and looked at the menus. Mana tried to make sense of the delicacies, after every two seconds she asked Atem what something was. He never lost his patience with her, despite being generally quite quiet he liked talking to her. Her soprano voice made him feel at home.

A waitress came to the table and asked what would be their order. Atem let Mana go first.

"Maybe I should have some chocolate cake..." The waitress jotted it down, but then Mana shook her head. "But look they have a strawberry tart! I've never had one of those." She said and pointed at the menu to show Atem.

"A strawberry tart then?" The waitress asked. Mana pressed her lips together, what if she didn't like it?

"Ooh, I know I want a blueberry muffin, Tea gave me one of those a few days ago. I really liked it." Mana continued to look at the menu, there were other things that seemed so much more appetizing. "Oh look Atem they have brownies! I've always wanted to taste one of those!"

"Is that a blueberry muffin or brownie?" The waitress asked, her face quirked in annoyance but she had an amused grin on.

"Rainbow cookies!" Mana exclaimed, she turned to the back of the menu, seeing more scrumptious goodies. "Oh my gosh, these cupcakes are adorable, I must have one...!"

"I think we'll be a few more minutes, we'll call you over when we're done," Atem said to the waitress, he knew Mana hadn't made up for mind and the waitress seemed to become more exasperated as the seconds passed.

Atem peered at Mana smiling, the artificial lighting in the shop made her skin glow almost. Or maybe she was like that all the time. "Have you ever had cheesecake before?" Mana asked and looked up to meet Atem's gaze. She noticed he was staring at her, she self-consciously rubbed her neck. She could feel herself starting to blush again.

"Do I have something on my face?" Mana asked curiously and ran her hands over her lips. Maybe she was drooling at the deserts in the menu?

Atem blinked in response and coughed nervously. He looked away so she couldn't tell that the heat was meeting his cheeks too. "Oh no, I was just thinking... you just appeared to be in my line of vision..." he trailed and scratched the back of his neck. Mana gave him a look but then let it go, she knew he was strange.

"You've always been a terrible liar," she commented and now wondering if she could use that against him.

Luckily, for him she didn't press onto it anymore. He could deal with shadow creatures and psychotic people trying to destroy the world but he couldn't deal with his best friend picking up on his newly developed, strange behaviour towards her. He couldn't really understand it himself, he didn't like the feeling almost. It made him feel vulnerable and like something was crawling under his skin but at the same time he felt relaxed and happy.

"Have you decided what you wanted yet?" Atem asked, trying to get rid of his own awkwardness.

"Nope, there's so many yummy things to choose from. Can't I just have everything? I promise I'll be good." She knew that Atem would refuse so she looked him straight in the eye. Her eyes teal eyes widened, her lips formed a pout and she batted her eyelashes a few times. She had managed to make the perfect puppy dog face, if he denied her he'd feel like he was skinning kittens alive, but if he let her... Mahad would kill him.

"Please..." Mana whispered in a pleading tone. Atem closed his eyes and turned away, that face of hers made him want to give her _everything_.

He ignored the quickening of his heart and tried to think of some compromise.

"How about you pick two things and we can share?" Atem reasoned, trying to make his voice smooth. It had always been easy before.

Mana pressed her lips together, it wasn't _everything_ but it would do. She accepted. Now the difficult part: choosing which two.

Mana went through the menu several times, she needed to pick the two best things. At the end she decided to go for a strawberry cupcake, chocolate cake and some cold drinks. Atem quickly placed the order before Mana changed her mind again.

Their order came in the nick of time. Mana licked her lips at the sight of her deserts, she was going to enjoy this. She picked up a spoon and set it in her hand expertly, she found the idea of eating utensils ridiculous but fun. She scooped a bit of the chocolate cake and brought it up to Atem's lips.

"Open your mouth," she commanded. Atem clamped his lips together, he didn't need to be fed by her, he could feed himself. He shook his head. Mana furrowed her eyebrows and jabbed his lips with the spoon. "Say ahhh."

"Mana, I'm not going to - " Mana didn't listen and shoved the spoon in his mouth mid-sentence, her face lit up at her accomplishment. The look on her face warmed Atem's heart.

"Why are you feeding me?" He questioned after swallowing the cake. It tasted nice, but he didn't have much of a sweet tooth as Mana did.

"Because I want to," she claimed and put more chocolate cake on the spoon. Atem felt himself heat up again, she had no idea what she was doing to him.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" He asked. Mana nodded and dropped the spoon, she opened the casing of the cupcake and took a huge bite. Some frosting sat on her nose, making her more adorable than she already was.

"You have a little..." Atem trailed and gestured to her noise. She went cross eyed and tried to make her tongue lick off the frosting, but of course she was failing.

Smiling wistfully, Atem picked up a napkin and wiped her nose, ignoring the fact that his fingers were grazing her lips. "Thank you, Temu!"

"T-Temu?" He repeated incredulously, he swore she hadn't called him that before.

"Temu, you were dubbed that as a child," she said knowingly. Atem looked back at his memory and saw that she was right. "Now you have some!" She picked up the cupcake and shoved it to his face, feeling himself going cross eyed, he grabbed the cupcake before she fed him again.

Mana munched on the chocolate cake, savouring the taste and happy with her choice. She made sure to feed Atem some more, she enjoyed his awkwardness. She didn't like him being so serious all the time.

After eating they decided to visit the Museum. Atem talked about the tablet he needed to regain his memories and Mana talked about vases. He understood her love for them, they _were_ good hiding spaces after all and they had spent a decent portion of their childhood hiding in them.

After looking at all the exhibits they decided to walk around town until they decided to go home. The two didn't really want to leave each other, if only Atem's material body didn't have a time limit...

They walked down a thin alley in attempt to get back to the plaza, Mana was talking about maybe going back to the arcade to play some different games. She hadn't gotten over her defeat yet.

All of a sudden they felt shadows looming over them. Atem stepped ahead of Mana as a precaution, his hands hovering in the air in case he needed to defend himself. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

Mana noticed the sudden shift in his mood, she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. How many times has he sensed danger and nothing happened? _Far too many_ in her opinion. Plus, what couldn't a magician and all powerful pharaoh not overcome? Nothing could easily defeat them.

They heard heavy footsteps coming their way. Atem tensed up and continued to walk, almost guiding Mana to stay behind him. They soon emerged.

There were three guys, all superior in size and dressed in black - maybe to conceal themselves in the shadows. Smirks were painted on their faces, they seemed to be looking for trouble.

 _Nothing we can't handle!_ Mana thought to herself with a smirk of her own tugging on her lips.

"Well lookie what we have here," the lead man said. "Little Romeo and Juliet, how cute."

Atem carried on walking, ignoring them. He didn't want to get into anything, not after having such a good day. He noticed that their lecherous eyes were roaming Mana, it made him sick with rage. He could feel Mana tensing behind him, he reached out for her hand and squeezed it. She didn't resist. He just carried on walking, they weren't that far from the end.

"Don't you think she'd be lovely to nail?" The one on the side commented. The one on the left wolf whistled in agreement. Atem stopped, his whole body stiffened. His grip on Mana was becoming a bit painful.

 _They were going to regret saying that._ He inhaled sharply, and spun around. He noticed that Mana used her free hand to hug herself, it was an attempt to cover herself.

"You're going to regret saying that. I feel sorry for you," Atem hissed.

"Oh look at him, he's trying to get brave! You're a little too short to do anything," the whistler retaliated. Atem took that as a challenge but before he did anything Mana stepped forward and pried her hand away from him.

"I'll handle them," she spoke quietly and confidently. The lead chuckled, unashamedly running his eyes over her body again. Atem growled.

"Mana, no -" she waved him off. As grateful as she was to have Atem with her she knew how to handle herself.

"You should listen to your boyfriend for now, little girl. After we take him down, you'll be with us," the lead stated. Mana rolled her eyes, they didn't know who they were up against.

Atem tried to tug Mana behind him, but she resisted. She caught their gazes in her piercing one, she had managed to perfect what she called her _look of death_. She never once thought she'd need it. She raised one of her hands and put one behind her back. The hand behind her back made her wand materialize. She whispered an incantation under her breath, changing a few words to fit the situation.

Their eyes didn't leave hers and when she finished the spell she clicked her free hand.

They immediately went pale, as if they were seeing a ghost. Their eyes nearly went to the back of their heads as they let out screams and then ran away.

Mana made her wand disappear and turned to Atem, he was still tense but he was shocked. _What had she done to them?_

"Shall we get going?" She asked softly and brushed past him. Despite her bold actions, she felt violated. Her hands hugged her shoulders, she walked out of the passage and waited for Atem to follow her. He emerged after a short moment.

"Mana, what did you do?"

She was expecting this question. She hadn't done anything too harsh, she should've been harsher but decided against it. The creeps weren't worth her sacred energy. "Simple. Now, whenever they think of preying on a girl or ganging up on anyone for that matter, they see their greatest fears. I don't think anyone would have to worry about them now."

Atem realized her voice was shaking. She showed a lot of confidence but it wouldn't take away what she must have felt. Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her. She was stiff at first, almost flinching but she willed herself to relax. Atem was no trouble, he wouldn't take advantage of her. Slowly she returned the hug, feeling herself tremble a little. Atem rested his chin on her shoulder, thinking he'd be pretty content to never let her go. She felt good in this arms, and especially after the way those men looked at her, he didn't want to let go.

After a while their legs started tire but none of them were reading to let go yet.

Feeling considerably better turned her head to face him. "Where are we going now?"

He thought for a moment. _Where would Mana like to go?_

"There's an ice cream parlour just a little walk -"

Mana let go of him and grabbed his hand like she had done earlier, dragging him through the plaza at a faster pace than before. A smile tugged at his lips at her sudden mood change, she was always bubbly and excited. He adored her for that.

"Mana be careful you might bump into some-" Too late she already had. Backing away quickly, she mumbled a plethora of apologies before looking up and seeing who it was.

"Joey and Mai?" Atem questioned even though it was undoubtedly them. "What are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing! Are you two on a date?" Mai teased, flicking her silky hair over her shoulder. Mana had met her two days ago, she was a gorgeous woman and a complete tease. But right now she stared at her in confusion, she didn't see Atem blush. _What's a date? How could Atem and her be on a date? A date is a fruit isn't it?_

"I knew you had it in you, Yugi - I mean Atem! I need to get used to that! But I thought I just saw you with Tea a while ago?" Joey questioned rubbing his chin, wondering also why Atem looked like he did when he was in Egypt.

"Oh Mana used her powers, turned out Tea had plans today with Yugi and I agreed to show Mana around town. She used her powers to separate us for the day," Atem explained, trying to hide his highlighted cheeks. It didn't help that Mana was still holding one of his hands in both of hers.

Mana was quiet, still wondering what a date was. A date was a fruit, she _swore_ it was. She shook her head and let go of Atem with one hand and tugged his sleeve. He had started a conversation with the two.

He gave her his attention instantly. "Yes, Mana?"

"What's a date?" She asked. His cheeks deepened in colour, Joey let out an obnoxious laugh and Mai let out an unimpressed _tsk_.

"Mana dear, you're so adorable. You _do_ know what a date is, don't you?"

The tone Mai used made Mana think that knowing what a date was should have been the first thing she learned when she joined this world. But of course she didn't know, why else would she ask the question?

"I don't..." Mana admitted, feeling embarrassed.

Mai gave her a comforting smile and patted her on the shoulder softly. "A date is when two people who like each other do things together."

Mana nodded, analyzing the new information. She thought about her day with Atem, the two did like each other, they _were_ best friends and they did stuff together.

"Ah," Mana said, grinning. "This is _definitely_ a date."

Atem wanted to smack himself. _Of course Mai would give a definition like that!_

Mai giggled, looking at Atem's reaction. He fully impersonated a tomato. He wanted to deny it, not that he would mind going on a date with Mana, he would like it actually - their friendship wasn't like that. He knew they were just friends...

"M-Mana, you see, a date is, w-well when two people, _like-_ like each other, we don't... I don't..." he stuttered incoherently. Mana looked at him in confusion, _why was acting so weird?_

"You don't like me?" She questioned and let go of him completely, taking a step back. Well, this makes things awkward between them.

"No! No, I do like you M-Mana, of course I do..."

"So... this _is_ a date..." She concluded. Atem used his hand to cover his face, it'll take him a while to explain things to her. He'll do it later, when Mai and Joey weren't around to put him off.

Joey and Mai looked at the two trying not to burst in hysterics. They felt bad prying on Mana's innocence but the opportunity was too good to pass. Plus, Atem was so serious all the time it was fun to see him crack a little.

Mana looked at Joey and Mai, they seemed to be doing the same thing that her and Atem were. So they must be on a date too. It was only logical.

"So how is your date going?" Mana asked. Simultaneously, the two blondes went red, looking at each other and away several times.

"W-we're n-not on a date!" Joey stammered, jumping away from Mai as if she had some sort of disease. Mana cocked an eyebrow.

"But don't you guys like each other?"

"Mana, sweetie, it's not like that, I mean Joey and I we're just friends. Close friends..." Mai explained, looking everywhere apart from Mana and Atem.

"So are Atem and I," Mana pointed out. Nothing was making sense. She looked at the two, they were definitely hiding something. "Didn't you just say that a date is when two people who like each other do things together? It doesn't make sense to hang out with each other when you don't like each other?" Mana thought for a moment. _Maybe they're more!_ A mischievous grin grew on Mana's face, Joey and Mai didn't like the look of it. Atem chuckled, glad that they were getting a taste of their own medicine. "Are you two girlfriend and boyfriend?" She asked in a singsong voice. Atem furrowed his eyebrows, _how does Mana know what a boyfriend and girlfriend is and not know what a date is?_

"Noooooo..." They said in unison. Mana didn't buy it. She knew there was something between the two, she could tell they were in love.

"You totally are! That's so adorable!" Mana squealed and clapped her hands giddily. She could imagine it now, _Yugi and Tea and the these two would go out all together, maybe someday they'll be a wedding, and oh they'll have children and be all lovey-dovey and it'll be so, so beautiful to watch._ She was so glad she was here in this world. She _loved_ stuff like this.

"You know what... we're late for our cinema showing, see you later!"Joey excused quickly and started to run away, Mai followed after him in the same frantic manner, just as they turned the corner she saw the two reach out for each other's hands.

"Don't you think they're just perfect together?" Mana mused with a sigh. If only she had someone to spend the rest of her life with...

She looked up at Atem, he was a little flustered still but was mostly amused. "I'm happy they decided to get together, I think the rest of the gang were ready to put them on a blind date."

"Yeah, if they didn't make a move on, I do know how to make this good love potion..." Mana had a devious smile on her face, she had managed to use it before. It was on Mahad and Isis, it worked like a charm. They didn't even realize because she tried to make it as subtle as possible, now they were happily together! Maybe she'll tell them in a few thousand years, they couldn't get mad at her then.

"A love potion, you know using magic with these kind of things is never a good idea?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, the smile still on her face. "Now where is this ice cream parlour?" Mana grabbed his hand again and dragged him through, listening to the directions as he called them out.

Mana had only had ice cream once, and it was only a spoon at the time. Yet she swore she had an undying love for it, something she knew no one else would understand.

* * *

She tried every flavour upon arrival, she told Atem she had to in order to purchase the best flavours. She made him try a few as well, if he didn't agree she'd feed him again and Atem felt like his previously blush just left his cheeks.

At the end Mana settled for cookie dough and raspberry ripple, Atem ordered mint and chocolate. Mana didn't keep to her word and tried to feed him some of hers anyway, so Atem decided to do the same to her with his. They didn't end up having any of their own ice creams.

Afterwards, they noticed it was reaching sunset. Atem still had a few more hours until he involuntarily returned to his puzzle.

He knew that they liked to watch the sunset together 5,000 years ago so they headed to the dock. They stood side by side, their forearms touching as they watched in silence. It was soothing, the sounds of waves crashing against land, a cool breeze tickled their hair and the sounds of the clustered city felt miles away.

Atem didn't concentrate on the golden sun disappearing. He was looking back at his memories, he couldn't get enough of them. He loved how mischievous Mana was and still is, how laughter always seemed to erupt from her, how she was always there... He shifted his eyes to her, the sun's rays kissed her bronze skin making her look like some sort of angel. Her emerald eyes shone and tendrils of her hair played with the wind.

He tried to remember something that convinced him they were more than friends. He didn't understand how feelings like this could emerge now.

"Atem," Mana whispered. Her voice resonated around him, making him shiver slightly.

"Yes Mana?" He replied. He looked away from her, he didn't want her to catch him staring again. She didn't say anything at first but he felt her gaze bore into his face, he turned to meet her eyes involuntarily.

"Thank you for making today incredible, I had a lot of fun. I'll remember it forever." Atem felt himself get lost in the sound of her voice, she rarely used a serious tone. She was trying to be firm, she wanted him to know how she felt without him second guessing. "I'm glad I spent my day with you, we should do it more."

Atem agreed. He dreaded the thought of going home now, staying with Mana was always so much more easier.

Mana looked back at the sun, it had nearly vanished behind the sea. A little smile sat on her lips, she knew she was going to fall asleep with the same smile. Heck, the smile would stay on for the remaining week.

Mana rubbed her hands together, the breeze was starting to make her feel cold. She needed to remember the spell that warmed her up. After retrieving it from her mind she started to whisper it under her breath, she could tell that Atem was watching her and it was making her feel warm in a way she wasn't aiming for.

Her hands kept shaking so she couldn't project the heat further than her fingertips. She groaned. She didn't want to get a cold.

"Here," Atem spoke. Mana's eyebrows furrowed, what could he possibly give her? He wasn't wearing a jacket either. She understood when she felt his arms wrap around her. He stood behind her and used his hands to heat hers up.

Blood rushed to Mana's cheeks, she hadn't expected that. But she didn't mind it, she quite liked it actually. The small smile on her lips stretched as she felt his racing heartbeat on her back, she leaned back slightly so she could feel it better.

Atem was glad that Mana didn't look at his face. A blush graced his cheeks for the umpteenth time today that it made him feel even more embarrassed. He felt her lean into him more so he rested his chin on her shoulder. He felt content, he didn't feel like he needed anything more than Mana. He didn't want to seem cheesy but he knew it was true. At the same time a wave of melancholy hit him. He realized now how much he truly missed her, he felt guilty for leaving her. How, even just as a friend, she must have felt.

Mana turned her head slightly, picking up the shift in Atem's mood. His lips were pressed into a frown and his furrowed eyebrows were deeper than usual.

"What's the matter?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine Mana," he responded absently, not catching her question at first. Was it really that easy for her to pick up on his mood?

Mana rolled her eyes. She had pointed out earlier that he was a terrible liar. "You're not fine. I can even prove it." She twisted around so she could face him properly.

"Can you?" He teased.

"Yes, of course. You always make that face when you're not 'fine', I'll show you."

Mana pressed her lips into a frown, it was difficult because she felt like laughing and she furrowed her eyebrows. She could never fully imitate his face like that, to him she looked adorable.

Atem chuckled, Mana did too, she knew she was doing a terrible job. "You were frowning. So spit it out, what's wrong?"

He knew it was easy to speak to Mana. Mana knew it too, if she didn't she wouldn't be so demanding.

"I just realized how much I missed you. That's all," he admitted, using one of his hands to scratch the back of his neck. He was going red again. "I'm sorry, I left you. You're my best friend. I wish there was another way."

Mana gave him a soft smile, she raised one of her hands to stroke his cheek. "Don't beat yourself up over it. You had to save the world and you did. We're together now anyway, so you don't need to feel bad about it."

Atem nodded. She was right, but they weren't together in the way that he hoped they'd be.

Mana sensed that he wanted to say more but was afraid to. She ran her thumb over his cheek, the tip brushing against his lashes. "Just say it," she encouraged. She let her eyes meet his. They were both lost in a pool of teal and purple, neither wanted to look away. They both saw something in each other that they couldn't understand.

Atem took a deep breath. He had to tell her how he felt, if he couldn't tell her who else could he tell? They'll always be friends no matter what. Who cares if one fell in love with the other...

"I wish you were more than my best friend," he voiced, so quietly that Mana had to strain her ears to hear him. She felt confused at first, she let the sentence circle her mind before understanding him.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She didn't know how to respond, she just continued to stare. Atem started to turn away, he was afraid at what she'd say.

Words sat at the tip of her tongue but none of them came out so she tilted his head towards her. His eyes were questioned and she hesitantly pressed her lips to his. Her lips were light on his, loving and promising. She wanted him to know that she was always felt the same way.

Mana separated from him, he hadn't moved at all. Had she misunderstood what he meant? Did he want to be _super_ best friends instead of just best friends?

Finally realizing what was happening, his mind went on overdrive when their lips met, he blinked a few times. _Did Mana just?_

His lips were warm and tingly from the contact, he could hardly believe what had just happened! His eyes met Mana's who looked hesitant and confused? Had she not enjoyed herself?

It then hit him. He hadn't responded to her. She was probably thinking the worst. Before Mana pulled away, he leaned forward and captured her lips. His arms wrapped around her waist so he could bring her closer. She was still at first but snaked her arms around his neck so she could kiss back with the same intensity.

Mana felt like her heart would burst in happiness as a cool sensation spread throughout her body making her knees weak and her spine tingle. Atem's lips curved into a smile, he raised one hand to run his fingers through Mana's silky hair, with the other he rested on her waist to keep her close.

After a moment they broke away, gasping for breath. Atem pressed his forehead to hers, causing his hot breath to fan over Mana's face making her flustered. Feeling shy all of a sudden, she dropped her head to Atem's chest, rewrapping her arms so they were around his chest. Atem did the same.

Looking out at the distance, the sun had disappeared and a few stars started to dot the sky, Atem beamed.

"We should do that again," Atem whispered, referring to the kiss.

Mana started to turn her head so she could look at him, her lips tingling from meeting his.

"I agree," she whispered back. She turned in his embrace so she could look across the distance. Smiles tugged on both their lips, happy in the silence and they both thought about one thing: how fortunate they were to have each other.

* * *

 ** _Reviews please :)_**


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